Read Completed 3/4/25 | 3.75 stars | Book #26 of 2025

No major spoilers but if you want to go in blind, proceed with caution.
Gillian McAllister’s books are so readable and this was a very enjoyable novel! She has a great way of weaving a plot together and the amount of intrigue to kick this book off really had me hooked!

Admittedly, the pacing lost me just a touch having flashed forward seven years after the events that kick off the book. I understand the reason why buuuut I could have also easily see it continue without such a big break. There’s a major point to the story that does need some time to develop, so if you take some time off, why not seven years, I guess? But it did slow that exciting pace down for me a little too much.

I really enjoyed the twists and how everything really went around and around as things started to unfold. The ending was just a *tad* confusing for me due to what it all actually was. [I didn’t really know enough about the crime families to really feel attached to them as a huge part of the events and the reveal. The names also really kind of weren’t used enough — especially as an audiobook listener — to really get a grip on who everyone was. Some of them I had no idea who they were and I didn’t really care. They were barely a part of the plot but played such a big role. (hide spoiler)]

I ended up giving this 3.75 stars because I was very interested and it was such an easy book to fly through! I really wish the ending would have stuck with me more to give it a little extra bump, but I’d still recommend it!

This book was not for me I wanted to be scared by it but to just kept dragging on that I just kept looking my spot in the book. I do want to give this author another try with the next book. But this one didn’t make my year

Love the twists and turns this book takes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending on a somewhat positive note.

In Gillian McAllister's "Famous Last Words," Camilla Deschamps and her husband, Luke, are the doting parents of an adorable baby girl. Luke is a ghostwriter, and Camilla is a literary agent who is about to return to work after a nine-month maternity leave. Their comfortable life is suddenly upended when Cam receives devastating news. Her husband, who has a gun, is holding three hostages in a London warehouse. Luke has always been a laid-back and kind person who would never do anything to hurt another human being. What has transformed this formerly sweet man into a violent criminal?

DCI Niall Thompson, a hostage negotiator, is called to the scene to convince Luke to turn himself in. Unfortunately, the situation in the warehouse spirals out of control and Luke disappears. In the years following this disaster, Cam reverts to her maiden name and raises her child as a single parent, while Niall, who is brooding over his failed marriage, tries to salvage his career.

The author drags out this repetitive, far-fetched, and slow-moving tale for far too long. Cam looks back with sorrow at her once idyllic marriage, and Niall, who is technically off the case, is obsessed with trying to figure out why Luke behaved in a way that was so uncharacteristic of him. "Famous Last Words" has little action, limited character development, a contrived plot, and an unconvincingly neat conclusion.

I didn’t love this book. This was a slow read for me and I didn’t really enjoy any of the characters. I am sure for the right reader that this is a fantastic read! Thank you for the advanced copy!

Gillian McAllister does it again. The queen of thrillers is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

Gillian McAllister has a gift for coming up with plots that are different from the usual mystery/suspense. I find her writing genuinely interesting and always find myself engrossed in her stories.

First off, I loved the twisty turniness of this book. It grabbed me from page one. I had to know what happened. Camilla wakes up on her first day of returning to work after maternity leave to find her husband gone. He has left a note so she's not super worried until she hears of a hostage situation nearby. She is soon meeting with hostage negotiator, Niall, and her world turns upside down. This is a suspense thriller with a love story at his core. It's about marriage and relationships. It is fast paced and interesting. As the book switched from Camilla's POV to Niall's and back, I loved seeing how McAllister twisted these two sides of the same story together and wound up with an unexpected and satisfying ending. Camilla is a literary agent and I loved the tie in with the publish world found in this story. I had heard a ton about this author before reading, but this is my first of hers I've read. It certainly will not be my last.

I love a thriller I cannot put down, and this did just that for me! This was very well thought out, and I really enjoyed all the characters and their depth. I am never really sure of thriller endings, this was no exception, I was surprised! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this story!

Somewhere between 3.5/4 for me. I thought the premise was really interesting and captured me! Pacing was a bit off, some parts very slow and detailed in what felt like unnecessary ways but other parts that had me flipping pages sooo fast. The time I did spend reading this was enjoyable for me but I think other readers may find it a bit slow. I did enjoy the big twists and thought they were done well but some of the additional details that tied it all together in the end had some plot holes that had me scratching my head.

After months of maternity leave, Camilla will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there's a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says...

This book hooked me in from the very start. There were enough twists in the story that it kept me wondering about what was coming next. While I was able to guess how it was coming together at the end, it definitely kept me wondering. And I was really invested in both Camilla and Niall's storylines and enjoyed seeing them through. Great book!

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

Get ready for a beautiful and suspenseful title that grips and never lets go!

New mother Cam’s life is upended when she drops her daughter off at daycare for her first day back at work, only to learn from the police that her loving, gentle husband is the gunman in a hostage situation, his last words to her a cryptic message. Cam must decide what to do, and what truth to uncover, when her world is shattered by the man she knows, trusts, and loves.

This book is excellently written with beautiful imagery. Author Gillian McAllister weaves in realistic, heartfelt descriptions of love — both for her husband and her daughter — and loss, betrayal, and the lingering question of whether or not her good man is still good. I would call this book suspense rather than thriller, but the twists are excellent and I highly recommend.

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Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was a good book!!! Did seem to drag a little in places, but it was needed to pull the story together! Did not see the twist.

Gillian McCallister's books always have a twist that keeps me wanting to read. This book is right on par with me as Wrong Place, Wrong Time. The characters were likable and the main character was especially relatable as I would also rather be home reading than in social situations many times. She was able to put into words my feelings about books. The book was well paced with no parts that dragged for me with a very fitting ending. This author has become an automatic read for me.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I really liked how the author did not jump back and forth with multiple characters and instead focused on the main two. The storyline was intriguing and easy to follow. The twists and turns were not outlandish and very plausible. I also really appreciated how the story wrapped up but did not feel rushed.

Gillian does it again! Full of twists and a story to keep you up all night reading. Thanks Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The novel follows a woman who is confronted with a chilling and mysterious dilemma after witnessing a crime. McAllister masterfully builds tension, blending suspense with emotional depth as she explores themes of guilt, trust, and the consequences of our actions. With its sharp writing and unexpected twists, Famous Last Words is a compelling page-turner that will captivate fans of thrillers and psychological dramas. A must-read for anyone who loves a good, twisting mystery!

I personally was hesitant with this book because right before it I read ‘Wrong Place Wrong Time’ by this author. I personally was not a fan of the previous book. I know a lot of people were, but it just wasn’t for me with that being said I was nervous to start this book, but the author proved me wrong. The twist and turns in the story were captivating. I couldn’t put it down. Usually I don’t like when books have multiple perspectives, but it was easy to understand and made perfect sense in this book. I loved it. It made me a fan. Thank you NetGalley, Gillian McAllister, and William Morrow for the ARC!

This was an overall good, well written story with very likable characters. It is original with good plot twists.

What would you do if you found out your husband was not only in a hostage situation but the gunman? The story is mainly told by Camilla (the gunman’s wife) and Niall (the hostage negotiator). It covers moral dilemmas and the effects of how being passionate about your job can affect your personal home life. It was a quick read but got a bit slow during the middle with the action scenes being a little farfetched. Nonetheless it was a creative entertaining read.

Thank you Gillian McAllister, William Morrow and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.

This was a fun read with all the twists and turns and unexpected discoveries. This was my first Gillian McAllister book to date and I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I do think the middle dragged on a little more than needed.

The character builds were great and the storyline definitely kept me on my toes. If you’re looking for a love story set in a hostage situation, this one is for you.